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STOXX 600 down 0.2%
Mining stocks fall
Wall Street futures higher
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STOCKS DRIFT LOWER, STILL SET FOR WEEKLY RISE
The STOXX .STOXX 600 is a smidgen softer on Friday, as markets take a breather after another busy week.
The pan-continental benchmark is down about 0.2% but looks set to end the week higher, its fifth straight weekly rise. Breadth is negative, with over 60% of stocks declining, about a third advancing and the rest little changed.
Germany's DAX .GDAXI and Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE are both down a similar amount, with France's CAC 40 .FCHI off by about 0.5%.
France's government on Friday suspended parliamentary talks on the 2026 budget until Tuesday, after lawmakers failed to reach a compromise on spending and tax plans.
There's very little economic data to get too excited about on Friday, so markets will be keeping a close eye on geopolitical developments, which eased a touch on Thursday as Trump appeared to adopt a wait-and-see approach on Iran.
That has taken some steam out of the rally in precious metals, although gold XAU= and silver XAG= are still within a whisker of their record highs from earlier in the week. Mining stocks .SXPP are Europe's laggards on Friday, down from their highest in almost four years reached the day before.
Here's your opening snapshot:
(Samuel Indyk)
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EARLIER ON LIVE MARKETS:
EUROPE BEFORE THE BELL: STOCKS SET FOR FIFTH WEEK OF GAINS CLICK HERE
HOW MUCH MORE YEN JAWBONING BEFORE INTERVENTION? CLICK HERE
Japan's yen has fallen 5% against the dollar since Takaichi's ascent https://www.reuters.com/graphics/GLOBAL-MARKETS/THEMES/znpnqonglvl/chart.png
Protests in Iran https://www.reuters.com/graphics/IRAN-ECONOMY/PROTESTS/akpejywbyvr/chart.png
European shares ending the week lower https://www.reuters.com/graphics/GLOBAL-STOCKS/gkvlqzexmpb/chart.png